


Yes Sir, No Sir

by Ultra



Series: Moments in Time [30]
Category: Leverage
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Daddy Issues, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Friendship/Love, Honesty, Parker Being Parker (Leverage), Phone Calls & Telephones, Protective Eliot Spencer, Secrets, Team as Family, Truth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-23
Updated: 2012-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-02 19:43:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18817705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: Archie comes back to ask Parker for help with another job; Eliot isn't happy about it.





	Yes Sir, No Sir

**Author's Note:**

> originally written for meg63005 on Livejournal, based on her prompt.

“I don’t know what it is, man,” said Hardison with a shake of his head, “but something is up with her. She actin’ weird, even for Parker,” he explained to Nate, as well as Sophie and Eliot who looked equally as concerned.

“She’s allowed to have secrets, Hardison,” the grifter reminded him. “We all have those.”

“Yeah, secrets is one thing,” Eliot cut in. “So long as they ain’t secrets that are gonna get her killed or somethin’.”

“Eliot does have a point,” Nate nodded thoughtfully. “Parker does have a tendency to get herself into trouble by doing what she thinks is best...”

At that very moment the thief put in an appearance, strangely through the front door which was odd in and of itself. Lately it was as if she was almost trying too hard to be normal, which wasn’t normal at all for a girl like her. Each of her team-mates looked at her with suspicion as she walked cautiously into the room.

“What?” she asked, putting a hand to her face. “Is there still chocolate pudding on me?” she checked.

Though more than one of them opened their mouths to answer, all were stopped by Parker’s cell ringing in her pocket. She pulled it out quickly, almost a blur she moved so fast, and then she was off and running out the door as if terrified. Nate and Sophie shared a look as Hardison called after the blonde. Eliot had ideas of his own.

“I’ve had enough of this,” he growled, shaking his head as he ran off after the thief.

Everybody else seemed to want to tip-toe around the girl until she decided to come clean, which they all ought to have known she never would. Eliot was not happy knowing Parker was keeping secrets, because her secrets never ended well. Besides, he couldn’t keep her or anyone else safe when there were unknown variables. This ended today, with her admitting to him who the secret calls were from, and what the big deal was about keeping the team in the dark.

She was up on the roof before Eliot caught up to her. No doubt she planned to rappel away before he made it, but she ought to have known even she couldn’t out-run a guy as fit as Eliot had to be to do his own job. Besides, he had taken precautions for just this very thing happening.

“What did you do?” she asked frustratedly, yelling over the wind that was blowing fiercely across the roof.

“You’re lookin’ for your lines, darlin’, you ain’t gonna find ‘em,” he told her smartly, arms folded across his chest as he stood far away from the edge where she peered down, searching for her equipment she would never locate.

“You took my gear!” she complained, frustrated and mad as he knew she would be, but that didn’t bother Eliot at all.

“We need to have a conversation,” he told her definitely. “You got the team all stirred up over whoever keeps on calling you and making you late for meetings,” he explained, flicking his hair out of his face when the wind tried to mess it up. “Is it Archie?” he asked her straight out and her lack of answer proved what he already knew. “Damnit, Parker, you can’t be that dumb twice!” he shook his head.

“You don’t understand!” she yelled back at him, coming a little closer more by accident than design as she stamped her feet in frustration. “He’s... he’s family and he needs me.”

“And what is this team, huh?” he asked her smartly. “What? We’re not as important as Archie frickin’ Leach who only wants you around when he needs a favour?”

It was nasty and he knew it, to talk that way about somebody Parker cared for, but making her angry might just be the only way to make her see the truth. Eliot was all for honesty, which might seem strange for a thief, but in a lot of ways he liked things to be straight-forward, whether that be in a fight, or a relationship, whatever. He never lied to Parker, he never had to, and right now was no exception.

“You don’t know anything!” she yelled at him, all of two paces in front of him now. “Archie needs me, he... he cares about me!”

“Not enough.” Eliot shook his head, feeling just a little bad as he watched the tears form all too easily in Parker’s eyes. “Darlin’, what happened the last time... if not for Nate and us having your back, you know that Steranko would’ve been the end. He would’n’t’ve got you out like we did.”

It was hurting her, causing wounds deep inside that he hated to be the one to make, but Eliot had to do this, he had to make her see the truth. Whilst she kept holding onto this perfect image of the man that both helped and damaged her at the same time, she would always feel beholden to him. Archie was dangerous, because Parker trusted him, and that trust was at least partially unfounded. Eliot had held his tongue after that job against the Steranko, only because he was too mad at the time to do anything else. Given half the chance, he would’ve ripped the old man’s head off for the way he treated Parker as a kid. She could be better than this, not a better thief because that was impossible, but maybe more well-adjusted, better able to handle the world around her. As it was, she ran at the first sign of trouble, and was far too easily swayed by a man who should have been the father she needed and deserved, instead of a thoughtless Fagin to her Artful Dodger.

Small fists beating against his chest didn’t hurt Eliot at all. He understood the anger and frustration inside of Parker and if she wanted to let it out this way, he wouldn’t stop her. It was her tears that wounded him, cut at the heart he barely knew he still possessed sometimes. The truth hurt, almost always, and today was no exception.

“I’m sorry, darlin’,” he told her, calming her down at last with his arms around her as she cried.

She knew he was right, that was what killed her. As much as she loved Archie like a father somehow, she knew he couldn’t really care for her as much as he claimed. He would have let her into his family if he had, he would have made her a real daughter inside of just his project for a new kind of master thief.

“I wish I found you sooner,” she mumbled against Eliot’s shirt. “All of you.”

“Me too,” he replied easily, knowing he could have turned out so much better if this family of misfits had come together a whole lot sooner.

As it was they had at least found each other now, and that was better than nothing. He told Parker they should head back down. The wind had blown in rain clouds that were set to break at any second, besides, the rest of the team would be worried. The little thief nodded her agreement, but no sooner had they started heading for the door, she slid out from under Eliot’s arm and moved away. He didn’t recognise the cell phone she pulled out of her pocket, it must have been something specific she got to communicate only with the man she called ‘sir’ to this day. In a moment, she had crushed the phone under her heel and kicked the pieces off two different sides of the building. She was smiling a watery smile as she returned to him, ducked under his arm and leant into his embrace.

“I’m hungry,” she declared, as if it were the most normal moment in the world. “Wanna cook me something?”

Eliot had to laugh at her gall as they headed back in, closing the door just in time, as the rain began to pour.


End file.
